Internal-combustion engine



Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,752

C. REINEKE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 23, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ail Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,752

C. REINEKE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 23, 1924' a Sheets-Sheet 2 C. Reine/fa Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,752

c. REINEKE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 23. 1924 a Sheets-Sheet 5 0'3? NEW YORK, N. 2., FGRATZON, 05 NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ABBIGNOB TO THE REINEKE MOTOR COR- A CQRPORATION OF DELAWARE.

1H TEBN'AL-COHBUSTIQN ENGINE.

Application filed July 23,

This in vcntion relates to improvements in internal combustion engines and more particularly to u novel internal combustion engine for sero, automobile or inar1ne u:-;e.

The prii'nary object of the invention is to provide a novel explosive en 1 ne of the .opposed piston type, and in w mix the crank t is located at the end of. the cylinder.

cyiinde'r has oil-set portions in line with the shaft, and the oil-set issuiiicient only to allow the upper piston to act on a I)IO]BC1Z1OI1 normally on the underside of the drive shaft,

while the lower piston acts on a projection norn'ially on top of the drive shaft, thus pcrmitting simultaneous push and pull action, and causing an even torque on the shaft bearings. The engine also includes means having rigid rods for connecting the upper piston to the projection on the underside of the shaft. By employing means permitting even pull and push strokes, roller or ball bearings may be used in the connections between the drive shaft and pistons. The off-set cylinder construct-ion enables me to provide a compact opposed piston engine, in which all of the lubrication Inaytake place at the point where the drive shaft is located. In other words, the drive shaft being located at one end of the cylinder, a crank case may be placed at this' location and the connecting rod bearings may run in an oil bath. The present construction also permits a threecylinder structure, thus giving the best torque (three pointsto the drive shaft) Another object of the invention is to providc an opposed piston engine in which each piston is rigidly connected to its piston rod, so that the wrist pin and its hearing may be eliminated from the piston, thus allowing uniform expansion and contraction of both pistons. As the pistons are rigidlyv connected to their rods, those rods are guided in a straight line, so that there will be no piston ship in the present construction.

A further object is tofurnish an opposed piston engine which may be quickly removed from its supporting frame or foundation.

The construction is such that the. cylinder 1 block may be detached from the crank case by removing four screws and. detachingthe connecting rods of the upper iston. Consequently for automobile use, t e entire cylinder block may be expeditiously removed accesses}, end '21 new block may be quickly put in its place.

1924. Serial No. 727,731.

lVith the foregoing objects outlined and with a number of other ob ects in view which will appear as the description roceeds, the invention consists in the novel eatures hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more articularly ointed out in the appended claims.

Re erring to the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a two cylinder engine of my improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 4 is a side view of the open frame whic is connected to the upper piston of each cylinder and engages a bearing ring on the engine shaft.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a detail taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings 1 desi ates a base plate casting which forms a oundation for the cylinder block, and a cover for-the crank case. This plate is provided at each side with outward y extending arms 2, ea'ch having an aperture} at its outer end to receive a bolt or screw employed in fixing the'plate on any suitable support. If the en ine is used-- for an automobile, the arms 2 wil be secured to the chassis. Figs. 1 and 2, is provided at each end with legs 4, of fork shape thecrotch of the fork as shown in Fi 1, receiving a roller bearing 5 hold in place by a saddle plate 6 secured by bolts or screws 7. Thus the base plate supports the bearings- 5 for the drive shaft 8, and the upper portions 9 of the legs form partially the ends of the crank case or oil chamber 10. The le s 4 have vertical flan cs 11 to which side plates 12 are secured screws 13. The plates 12 form the sides of the chamber 10, and each plate, as best. shown in Fig. 2,,has a horizontal ledge 14 provided with apertures to receive bolts 15, which socure an oil pan 16 in position. From the The plate, as best shown in foregoing it will be obvious that the entire bottom of the chamber 10 is opened, when the pan 16 is removed, and when the an has been removed, an operator may readi y reach any part within the chamber 10.

i The cylinderblock 17 consists in the present .instance, of an inner casting 18 and an outer jacket 19 of big};X tensile strength material, such as steel. e inner casting forms two cylirlders and 21 and each cylinder con sists of a lower portion 22 and an off-set upper portion 23, the latter, if desired, being of larger diameter, as the upper piston has more weight to lift than the' lower piston. The upper and lower portions of each cylinder are integrally connected by a diagonal tubular portion 24, which, as best shown in Fig. 2, has a spark plug opening 25 atone side and an oil pipe opening 26' at its diametrically opposite side, so the portion 24 will form the combustion chamber of the cylinder. The inner casting 18 has a base flange 27,;intermediateflanges 28, 29 and; 30, and a cap flange 31, the latter forming the top of the cylinder block. The flanges 29 and 30 are spaced apart to provide an exhaust gas passage way 32, which communicates through ports 33 with the upper portions 23 of the cylinders and thus-provides means for discharging the exhaust gases.

The flanges 28 and .29 are spaced apart a greater distance to provide a relatively large water chamber 34, which surrounds the compression chambers 24 of the cylinders, and thus permits the water to cool the portions of the cylinders where the heat reaches the maximum.

The flanges 27 and 28 are'also spaced apart to provide a large air chamber 35 which leads cold air along theJower portion of each cyl ihder and discharges the same through ports so into thelcylinders.

The jacket 19 is preferably made from a short length of steel tubing which is flattened at opposite sides, as shown in' Fig. 3, and is drawn upwardly along'the 'innerscasting 18 until its upper edge contacts with the cap flange 31, and this jacket has exhaustports 37 and air inlet ports 38, which respectively communicate with the passage' ytay 32 and the air chamber Asbest shown in Fig. 3, the jacket is provided at 1t.-s lower end'- with outwardly extending lugs 39 aperturedtoreceire threaded rods 40 which secure the cy inder block to the base-plate l. The lower ends of these rods are threaded into the plate 1, as shown at 41 in Fig. 1 and a ,nut on car h rod bears downwar ly upon the lug 239. The upper end of, each rod passes through an aperturein the cap flange 31 and a nut 42', engages the upper end of the rod and hears upon the last mentioned flange. In disnmntling the engine, or taking the r cl'inder hloek olf oi the base. plate 1, it is only necessary to remove the rods 40'and tov detach devices on the connecting rods, which will be described later on.

Each cylinder contains an upper pisto 44 and a lower, piston 45, each having a screw threaded socket 46, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper socket 46 is in threaded connection with the lower end of a connecting rod 47 having an eye 48. A lock nut 49 engages the rod 47 for (airing the latter against ro tation. As shown in Fig. 1, the eye 48 encircles a pin 50, the latter passing through cross bars 51. A washer 52 engages the outer face of one of said cross bars and all of the parts are secured in position by a cotter pin 53, or the like. Reverting again to Fig. it may be seen that each cross bar 51 is pro-- vided at its outer ends with detachable pins 54 which rigidly connect the cross bars to the upper ends of the rigid rods 55. These rods are arranged at opposite sides of a plane 1131s.: ing through the axis of each cylinder and ill? shaft 8, and the lower ends of the rods nr-c rigidly connected by pins 56 to an open framv- 57, see Fig. 5. This open frame is shown in a;

detail in Fig. 4 and it has-'a'substantially elliptical aperture 58 provided at its under side with a cam surface59. As shown in Fig. 2, the frame 57 is arrangedv within the chamber 10 and its opposite side edges bear against the plates 12, so that the frame, rods 55, red 47 and pistons 44 andwill all move rectilinearly in a vertical plane and the upper piston will be prevented from webbling and causing a piston slap.

Each lower piston has its socket 46 in threaded connection with a lower rod (in, 'which is integral with an open frame 61. The rod .is held in place by a lock nut (12.

The open frame has a downwardly extending cam 63 at its upper side and a concave-d cam 64 at its under side. Rings 65 and 66 respectively oscillate in and contact with the open frames 57 and 61, and each of these rings rolls on balls 67, which surround an inner race ring 68.

The shaft 8, for the purpose of the present invention, is of special construction, and it is preferabl provided ,with diametrically 0pposite semi-circular 'pieces 69. If only a single cylinder is used, the st-raight edge of the piece 69 for actuating the upper piston 44 will be located below the shaft when the engine is ready to start its working stroke,

and the straight edge of the piece (59 for the lower piston, at the upper side of the shaft 8. Of course, where more than one cylinder is used. the pieces 09 are arranged to more the visions in the proper sequence.

The shaft l as lugs 70 arranged at thepoints where the pieces 69am located, and each of these lugs is employed in secnringa semi (ircula r plate 71 adjacent the corresponding piece 39. so that a plate 71, and piece ("9 will form an \UjClllllG on the shaft. 8, this erc ntrie holding the inner ringtiS in position. Each plate 71 is (lctachably secured in po=- tion by a screw 72, and it is obvious that when the. saddle plates 6 of the shaft beari 5, are removedrand the base plate 1 is liiti,

upwardly, the. operator may readily dot-uh the screws 72 and plates 71 and thus remote the anti-traction bearings from the shaft. An engine constructed in the above mate ner, will operate on the two-cycleprinciple.

and as this is so well known, it is deemed unnecessary to describe the specific operation of the engine. r

In actual practice I prefer to make each upper piston-44 and its corres onding portion of the cylinder, of larger diameter than the piston 45,- as it has more weight to lift than the lower pisto In a non-reversible engine, the projections 70 on the shaft do not'have to be in line with each other, that is on diametrically opposite sides of the shaft, but they can be at angles relatively to one another, so that the pistons -may open and close the exhaust ports before other istons have closed the intake ports, thus al owing surcharging of the cylinders.

Furthermore, if desired, the pieces 69 and plates 71, may form in one case, a disk of arger diameter than the other disk on the shaft, so as to give one piston a longer stroke than the other piston in the same cylinder.

In the present engine, the fuel injection and ignition may be controlled from the rigid rods 55, as the latter operate in unison with all other moving parts of the engine.

- In use, the oil an 16, contains a considerable uantity 0 oil, and consequently the piston t rusts will be taken up by the frames 57 and 61 which work in said oil bath, and as there is no side thrust on the piston since the piston rods move in rectilinear paths only, piston slap will be eliminated. In the present engine less friction is caused, as all bearings (roller or ball) work in the oil bath, and consequently they will last indefinitely without adjustment, even though the engine works at high speed. Friction is also eliminated due to the heavy rotating parts being balanced, and the reiprocating parts being of light construc'tion.

Furthermore in the present engine, the scavenging air entering through the ports 38 will make a clean sweep through the compression Space to the exhaust ports, and thus carbon will be eliminated to a great extent.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the invention may be readily underslood and itis apparent that changes may be made in the detaik disclosed Without. departing from the spirit of fin invention as expres ed in the claims.

dint I claim and desire to sconce by Lettcrs Pat nt is 1. An internal combustion engine includ ing a cylinder having nit-sci nd portions. a shaft arranged at one end ot the cylinder and carrying oppositely disposed eccentrics arranged in close proximity to each other. a pair only of opposed pistons arranged in the otl sct portions of the cylinder, and means operativcly connecting one piston to one of said eccentrics and the other piston to the other one of said eccentrics.

2. An engine including a cylinder having off-set end portions, opposed pistons in said cylinder, a shaft arranged at one end of the cylinder and provided with diametrically opposite projecting members, rigid frames surrounding said members, a rod rigidly connected to each piston, one of said rods being rigidly connected to one of said frames, and means rigidly connecting the other rod to the other frame.

An engine including a cylinder having off-set end ortions, a shaft arranged at one end of Htllt cylinder, diametrically opposite projections on the shaft, opposed pistons arranged in the cylinder and each having a rigidly connected rod, a frame surrounding one of said projections and rigidly connected to one of said rods, and a second flame surrounding the other projection and rigidly connected to the other rod.

4. An engine including a cylinder having off-set end portions, opposed pistons in the cylinder, and each having a rigidly connected rod, a shaft rotatably mounted at one end of the c linder and provided with proj'ections, a ame around one of said projections rigidl connected toone of said rods, and a secon frame around the other projection rigidly connected to the other rod.

5. n engine including a cylinder having off-set end portions,opposed pistons arranged in the off-set portions of the cylinder and each having arigidly connected rod, a rotatable shaft arranged at one end of the cylinder and provided with eccentrics arranged side b side, a rigid frame surrounding each eccentric, anti-friction bearings between each frame and eccentric, one of said frames being rigidly connected to one of the piston rods, and rigid means connecting the other frame to the other one of said rods.

6. An engine including a cylinder having off-set upper and lower portions, upper and lower opposed pistons arranged in the off-set portions of the cylinder and each having a rigidly connected rod, a rotatable shaft arranged below the cylinder and=having oppositcly disposed eccentrics arranged side b side, a ring surrounding each eccentric, antifriction members arranged between each eccentric and each ring, a frame surrounding cach ring and having abutment surfaces to engage the ring, one of said frames being rigidly connected to one of said rods, and means rigidly connecting the other fr'ameto the other one of said rods.

7. An engine including a cylinder having off-wt end portions. opposed pistons arrang d in the off-set portions of the cylinder and ea h having a rigidly onnected rod, a rotatable shaft arranged at one end of the cylinder and having oppositely disposed projections, frames surrounding said projections, one of said frames being rigidly united with one of said rod, and means connecting the other frame to the other rod and including no rigid bars arranged at opposite sides of the axis of the shaft, :1 crow-head connected to the upper ends of said bars, and means operatively connecting said cross-head to the last mentioned rod.

8 In an engine. a base plate provided with oppositely extending arms and depending bifurcated legs, ti soddle plates connected to said legs and supp rting said shafts, plates arranged at opposite sides of the base plate and connecting said leg-s together. said legs and side plates forming a chamber having an open bottom, and an oil pan closing, said bottom.

9. In an engine. a base plate provided with oppositely extending arms and depending bifurcated legs, bearings arranged in the crotches of the legs, a shaft arranged in said hearings. saddle plates detachahly holding the hearings in position, side plates detnchahly connected to the legs and having out \val'dly extending ledges, and an oil pan dc tachahly connected to the ledges 2 nd enclosing the lower portions of the side plates and legs.

10. An explosive engine, including a dri en shaft, :1 cylinderhaving its end portions oil" set in the direction of the shaft, oppositely disposed eccentrics mounted on the shaft and arranged in parallel planes coinciding n the axes of the offset end portions of the inder, opposed pistons in the oil-sci end poitionsgot' the cylinder. ll frame rigidlv united with one of said pistons and operntively engaging one of the eccentric or driving the latter from one oi the pistons, and a second frame rigidly connected to the other piston and operatii ely engaging the other eccentric for driving the latter from the last mentioned piston.

11. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder hating otf sct end portions, a shaft arranged at one end of the cylinder and carrying oppositely disposed eccentrics arranged in close proximity to each other, op: posed pistons arranged in the off-set portions of the cylinder, and means including piston rods adapted to more rectilinearly operatitely connecting one piston to one of said eccentrics and the other piston to the other one of said eccentrics.

1:2. An internal combustion engine including' a cylinder having off-set end portions, a shaft arranged at one end of the cylinder and carrying oppositely disposed eccentrics arranged in close. proximity to each other, opposed pistons arranged in the ofl' set portions of the cylinder, oppositely disposed rods connccted to said pistons. one of said rods heing connected to one of said eccentrics and means connecting the other of said rods lo the other of said eccentrics.

13. An internal comlnistion engine including a cylinder haw, inn oil-set end portions, a shai't arrangr d at one end of the cylinder and carrying optmsitely disposed eccentrics or en ed in close proximity to each other. o posed pistons arranged. in the oil no; ions of the cylinder, a rod connectin one piston to one oi said eccentrics, and means including a piston rod. cross-head and connecting rod connecting the other piston to the other one of said eccentrics.

In testinion whereof I nthx 1Z1) signature.

CHAS. nose 1; 

